This book uses basic mechanical, thermodynamic, material science, and electrical concepts from well-known physics to explain the properties and performance of multifunctional materials. With familiar theory and a focus on phase transitions, the text offers a simple, elegant introduction to the design and operation of devices that incorporate piezoceramics, shape memory alloys, electrorheological and magnetorheological fluids. The physics equations and graphical data in this volume form a novel approach to characterizing and assessing smart materials.

From the author’s preface:

“The scope of this book is to explain the physics and materials science underlying multifunctional materials and composites made thereof. The text identifies and elaborates the fundamental principles of ferroelectricity, elastic phase transformation, and energy transfer mechanisms that form the common basis for understanding the functionality, application potential, and limitations of a smart materials system.

“While these principles are independent of specific kinds of materials or particular applications, they are explained in the context of a representative material and application. That is, the principles apply to whole groups of materials and can be used to differentiate between them. The present book endeavors to cover the basic physics pertaining to multifunctional materials: from mechanics, electrodynamics, thermodynamics, and condensed matter physics, either as a short summary or as applied to selected examples from the large group of multifunctional materials. Familiar physics principles are thus used as a guide to the nature and design of these materials.

“The book concentrates on three different types of multifunctional materials: piezoceramics, shape-memory alloys, and switchable fluids (electrorheological and magnetorheological fluids). These materials are the best-known commercially available multifunctional materials with the most applications. More interesting in the context of this book is the fact that although the aforementioned examples are all made from very different materials, namely, ceramics, metals, and fluids, respectively, their multifunctionality is based on the same underlying principle — a structural phase transition induced by an external field, either an electrical, magnetic, or thermal field. This is one reason why multifunctional polymeric materials are not discussed. In most cases, polymer multifunctionality relies on mechanisms besides phase transition.”

The book is intended as an introduction to the physics of multi-functional materials and focuses mainly on piezoceramics, shape-memory alloys and electro-magneto-rheological (switchable) fluids, which are commercially available materials with the most practical applications. It should be noted that the multi-functionality of these materials is based on a structural phase transition induced by an external electric, magnetic or thermal field. Polymeric materials are briefly mentioned since their functionality mainly relies on fillers (electric or magnetic) or to the structure of the assembly of a specific device, like the Maxwell stress induced by attracting electrodes, which leads to the actuation of an electro-active polymer device. The general definition and categories of multifunctional materials and their differences from traditional ones appear in chapter two, followed by basic physics and some materials science in chapter 3, with more detailed materials classification in chapter 4. Chapters 5 to 7 present the principles behind functionality of piezoceramics, shape-memory alloys and switchable fluids, ending the book with few case studies related to multi-functional materials as actuators and sensors. The author is trying to explain how the multifunctional material can be the enabling element of an active suspension or a vibration absorbing system in a vehicle and briefly what is the economic aspect in that commercial application.

Overall, the textbook is well written, relatively easy to follow, with clearly drawn and presented diagrams and schematics that assist the reader to better understand the mathematical and technical concepts discussed. The author, Dr Martin Gurka, of the Institute for Composite Materials, Kaiserslautern, Germany, is a physicist who earned his PhD in nonlinear laser spectroscopy at the University of Heidelberg. He has extensive industrial experience in the field of multifunctional materials and developed production processes and applications for active composites.

I won’t hesitate to recommend the book to our University library for the benefit of my final year engineering undergraduates and those research students who have an interest on multifunctional material systems. A useful practical guide also to practicing engineers who’d like to refresh their knowledge or improve their understanding of this important class of smart materials.

–Professor C Soutis PhD (Cantab), CEng, FREng
Head of the Aerospace Research Institute
University of Manchester, UK